VegetableOnion
Barletta Onion
Barletta onions are diminutive Italian heirloom pearls that grow in 60 to 69 days, producing smooth, round bulbs barely three-quarters of an inch across. These small white onions thrive across zones 2 through 9 and succeed equally well in garden beds, raised plots, containers, and even greenhouses. Often called cocktail onions or baby pearl onions, they're harvested young and tender, making them a favorite for pickling, garnishing, and whole preparation in ways larger onions simply cannot match.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-9
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam, Moderately Rich
Growth Stats
24 in
Height
Spacing
3
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-9
Size
24in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
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Highlights
These Italian heirlooms produce delicate white bulbs no bigger than a marble, ready to harvest in under 70 days. Their tiny size and thin, papery skin make them naturally suited to whole cooking and preservation, whether pickled whole in vinegar or roasted intact. The fact that they thrive in containers alongside herbs in a sunny corner means even apartment gardeners can grow a full season's supply of these charming little onions.
Common Uses
Barletta onions excel when pickled whole, their tiny bulbs fitting perfectly into jars and delivering concentrated flavor in each bite. They roast beautifully intact, the delicate layers caramelizing into sweet tenderness without the long cooking time larger onions demand. Small plates and charcuterie boards showcase them as elegant garnishes, and their thin skin means they're among the few onions truly meant to be eaten whole rather than sliced or diced.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your last spring frost, sowing them 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting mix kept consistently moist and warm. Provide bright light once seedlings emerge, and transplant to larger containers if they become crowded before hardening off.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions, then transplant into the garden once soil can be worked and nighttime temperatures stay above 50°F. Plant at the same depth they grew in containers, spacing them 3 inches apart with 15 inches between rows.
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds into garden soil in early spring, planting them 1/4 inch deep in prepared beds. Keep soil moist until seedlings emerge and establish, then thin to proper spacing.
Harvesting
Harvest Barletta onions once bulbs reach about three-quarters of an inch across and the tops begin to dry and fall over, typically 60 to 69 days after planting. You can also harvest them slightly earlier for smaller, even more tender bulbs if you prefer. Gently loosen soil and pull by hand, allowing the bulbs and stems to air-dry in a warm, sheltered spot for several days before removing loose outer skin.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Allium cepa
Family
Amaryllidaceae
Genus
Allium
Native Status
L48 (I)
History & Origin
“Barletta onions carry the name of their Italian origin, a cultivar developed and refined in the southern Italian region around Barletta. As an open-pollinated heirloom, this variety has been preserved and passed through generations of gardeners who valued its unique small size and early maturity. The variety's journey from Italian seed savers to global gardens represents the broader movement to preserve regional food crops before they disappear into industrial agriculture.”